Winslow's Word July 2025

Our internship program is one of the quiet things that we do all year long to cultivate the next generation of preservationists and to educate students on the diversity of programs that a non-profit like HCF offers. This is especially true in the summer months when we host several interns, both undergraduate and graduate level, to gain exposure to the internal operations of our organization and to work on specific projects in the museums, preservation, advocacy, and communications departments.

‍This month, we are excited to present our first “intern takeover” of our newsletter so that you can hear directly from them on their experiences over this summer. I am proud to say that they have worked diligently on such a wide range of initiatives, and their work has a concrete impact for HCF through research, reports, database/website updates, and communications. I hope you enjoy hearing from these amazing students, as we are very proud of their contributions!

• Crack Study Project at ARH
• Using GIS as a Preservation Tool
• Cataloging the Collection with Museum Interns

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Courier Square Update: 

‍➡️ As many of you are likely aware, the very large Courier Square Phase 3 project gained conceptual approval at the BAR last week. HCF shared significant comments on the project that were ultimately incorporated by the BAR staff and members in the conditions they attached to this first design review approval.

‍It is important to note that the intensive zoning allowed across the site had already been approved by Planning Commission and City Council in 2023. While we had much constructive input at that time and have continued to work closely with the development team, we were opposed to that major increase in height back then. One of the primary trade-offs for granting additional height was that the developer had committed to a very large allocation of the site to public open space and an expansion of the soon-to-come Lowline.

Because the BAR does not have the authority to reduce the heights of buildings in a substantial way, their focus—and ours—was on how the community could ensure that the project reflected excellent architectural and landscape design. Especially for a project of this magnitude. At the next stage of design review, we will be expecting improvements to the upper levels of the largest buildings so that they become creative additions to our skyline.

‍We have advocated for setbacks and sculpting at these tower elements (which the BAR has the authority to do) so that they will indeed have visual interest, much like the adjacent clock tower on The Guild building. We will also push for much more focus on the materials and architectural details across the entire complex, particularly at the ground level. As you know, we review countless new construction projects every year, and we do want to recognize that this proposal did start at a much higher level of quality than we typically see at this conceptual phase. To be continued…